The 24-year-old hooker signs for Ponty having made 5 appearances for the Club in 2022 on permit from Pencoed RFC Along with another recent Ponty signing Joe Davies Jack helped Llanharan win the treble of league who is a product of Bridgend Athletic’s Mini and Junior section now returns to Sardis Road in readiness for the new campaign Jack said: “I’m excited to have been given another chance with Ponty I’m looking forward to working hard in pre-season and hopefully be apart of another successful period for the club.” Ponty Head Coach Chris Dicomidis is also excited to see Jack back at Sardis Road and said: “Jack is someone who I’ve been keeping my eye on since he played a few games for us a few seasons ago He has gone away to Llanharan and had some excellent seasons picking up numerous awards and standing out in a well-coached team He has gone away and developed his game and now he will get an opportunity to showcase his talents at a higher level Having spoken to Jack a good few times he is keen to put the black and white jersey on and continue his development working with Bobby Jack is again a player who is very much for the present and future of the club.” Skipper Scott Jones leads the Llanharan celebrations Llanharan completed the first leg of a potential treble with a thumping victory over Porthcawl in the final of Division 2 Cup at the Principality Stadium The Dairymen are unbeaten this season with 21 victories and learned after lifting the cup in the wake of their 44-3 triumph that they are now guaranteed promotion back to Division 1 East Central after Caerphilly were beaten at Llantwit Fardre Well clear at the top of Division 2 East Central the Dairymen’s next target is to win the Division 2 East Central title and to stay on course for the Silver Ball final Llanharan were dominant from minute one against a Porthcawl side coached by Wales internationals Ryan Bevington and Tom Prydie It was 18-3 in Llanharan’s favour at half-time following tries from Jack Brooks and Jack Walker with skipper and outside half Scott Jones converting both and landing two penalties Walker had scored when Llanharan had beaten Bryncethin two years ago in the WRU National Bowl final They were promoted as Division 3 East Central champions last season It was a tough test for Porthcawl and all they could muster in response after being out-powered and out-played in the first half was a penalty from outside half Josh White Llanharan are a lot more mature and experienced and they played some great rugby,” said Bevington “We’ve got a young side that is growing and developing and we will take a lot of learnings from this game We have come a long way in the last three seasons but they are probably two or three years ahead of us in their development “It was a great achievement to reach this final at Principality Stadium and they should be very proud of that Llanharan started in spectacular fashion with a pin-point cross-kick finding left wing Joe Davies He won the ball and seconds later centre Brooks was scoring wide out for an unconverted try but the remainder of the half was one-sided with Llanharan expertly drilled by the coaching prowess of the hugely respected Gareth Nicholas Jones punished a Porthcawl indiscretion with a penalty and a sweeping attack saw powerhouse forward Owain Howe involved twice before hooker Walker turned up inside him for the score Jones converted and added a penalty to end the half with them in a commanding position and we didn’t expect it to end with a result like that dug in hard and got the job done,” said Llanharan skipper “We have to give massive credit to our coach Gareth Nicholas because he got us all together pulled some boys back to the club and we are on a bit of a roll and playing for him.” It got sweeter for Jones’ side soon after the interval with Davies handing off a would-be tackler to run around between the uprights for a soft score Davies got a second try following another barn-storming sprint and later linked with full-back Michael Jones to put scrum half Leon Burton over for a popular touchdown Jones converted both to take his points haul to 14 Replacement Ieuan Evans got their sixth try after they went in excess of 80 metres with a sweeping handling movement It was the perfect end to the perfect game DIVISION 2 CUP FINAL – PORTHCAWL 3 – 44 LLANHARAN Go.Compare Player of the Match: Ieuan Pring (Llanharan) © 2025 Content Copyright Welsh Rugby Union Llanharan celebrate their victory over Bryncethin in 2022 Llanharan coach Gareth Nicholas is adamant being unbeaten this season won’t mean anything when his side faces Porthcawl in the Division 2 Cup final at Principality Stadium The Dairymen are unbeaten this season and are 10 points clear at the top of Division 2 East Central They booked another visit to the Principality Stadium where they lifted the WRU National Bowl with a 32-24 victory over Bryncethin two years ago Tries from hooker Jack Walker and lock forward Joe Buckle with outside half Scott Jones converting both and landing three penalties for a 13-point haul saw them safely through to the end of the #RTP24 journey who produced Wales captain Gareth Llewellyn and his international brother Glyn Llewellyn regularly made a mark on the WRU Challenge Cup before the professional era They climbed the league ladder following the introduction of a national competition structure but fortunes plummeted when the money dried up The appointment five years ago as coach of the highly respected Nicholas who was at Caerphilly when they were in the top-flight of Welsh rugby They were promoted as Division 3 East Central champions last season following a flood-lit victory over Pentyrch “There was a crowd of 1,500 for it at the Dairy Field I think Llanharan has learnt from previous mistakes and being down in the dumps We have an excellent committee and we have local boys playing for us – the furthest any of them come from is Pencoed and Tonyrefail A lot of people say we are paying and it drives me mad because it’s untrue All the boys have had is a two-pint winning bonus.” whose father Denver was a flanker at Cardiff and Jack Thompson are in Nicholas’ squad for the eagerly-awaited showdown with Porthcawl Walker and wing Joe Davies are among other players to watch while prop Jay Fletcher is the elder statesman of the team at 39 as well as many others taking the train to the Welsh capital means the club will have plenty of support for another big day out “The last time we were in a final at the Principality Stadium the platform at Llanharan Railway Station was packed I’m not an emotional person but I was quite choked by the occasion,” he said “When we arrived back at our clubhouse after beating Bryncethin in the final about 500 people were already there and serenaded us with the song ‘Sweet Caroline’ as we walked into the hall.” Llanharan run teams in all but one age group Nicholas believes the ‘grow your own’ approach is the right way forward for clubs at this level But he insists the Dairymen being installed as favourites to beat Porthcawl means nothing “We’re unbeaten this season but it’s going to be close Some people on each side could be slightly overawed by playing at the Principality Stadium,” said Nicholas “They will have to deal with the protocol of a match at the home of Welsh rugby They are very similar to us in that their squad is packed with local boys and their coaches are local “Neither side will be interested in a scrap “It’s going to be a huge day and the nerves are already starting to kick in.” We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. 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You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology a wagon with severe wheel flats on one of its wheelsets fractured two rails within a mile of each other between Pencoed and Llanharan The wagon was part of train 6A11 which was travelling from Robeston oil terminal The wheel flats occurred because a wheelset had stopped rotating (locked) while the train was moving during the journey The investigation found that the wheelset had probably locked during braking in an area of very low railhead adhesion when the train was travelling along the recently reopened Swansea District line The rails on that line were rusty as it had not been used for several months The environmental conditions were such that the rails were also wet and it was the combination of rust and moisture which created the very low adhesion experienced by the train Network Rail had not taken any specific precautions to ensure that an adequate level of adhesion was available when reopening the line This arose because Network Rail’s focus when managing low adhesion was on the autumnal leaf fall season and it had not acted on the advice provided by a cross-industry working group on the adhesion- related precautions to take when reopening an unused line In light of the findings of this report, RAIB considers that very low adhesion may be an alternative potential causal factor of relevance to the Ferryside accident (RAIB report 17/2018) An addendum has been added to the Ferryside report discussing this potential causal factor This update does not alter the safety recommendations made in the earlier version of the report RAIB has made one recommendation to Network Rail to review its processes in light of the existing industry guidance to manage all occasions outside the leaf fall season which could result in very low levels of wheel/rail adhesion RAIB has also identified one learning point for signallers to remember that they must arrange for a train to be stopped and examined if they become aware of an unusual noise coming from a wagon The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety While our investigations are completely independent of the railway industry we do maintain close liaison with railway companies and if we discover matters that may affect the safety of the railway we make sure that information about them is circulated to the right people as soon as possible and certainly long before publication of our final report Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Penarth did full justice to the memory of their former committee man Malcolm Thomas as they ran in six tries to beat Llanharan 34-12 to lift the Malcom Thomas East District Cup the Seasiders beat the team that pipped them to the Division 3 East Central league title with something to spare at Glamorgan Wanderers George Roberts and Joe Roberts all scored unconverted tries in the first half as Penarth took a 15-7 lead into the interval Llanharan were on the scoreboard either side of half time first through a try by Richard Byers which Lewis Cogbill converted Penarth powered to victory (Photo by Mike Jones/Replay Images) But ultimately Penarth proved too strong and further tries from Leon Appiah Matt Allen and Mike Lang wrapped up a comprehensive six tries to two victory for Matt Bolton’s men Owen Rees added the extras to Allen and Lang’s tries This was the final act in what has been a campaign to remember with both clubs having already secured promotion Llanharan won the title by just two points There had not been much between the two sides in their two league encounters either with both running out victors by a five-point margin over the other in their respective home league fixture This occasion though – and the cup – belonged to Penarth albeit both sides rung the changes and were far from at full strength It also marked a happy return to old familiar surroundings for Penarth head coach Matt Bolton a former captain and coach at Glamorgan Wanderers “It was a mixture of second and first team boys for us but the boys who came in from the seconds worked hard and were very good We moved the ball around and made it difficult for them to cope with us.” A new railway footbridge is set to be lifted into position in an area where business owners say works have caused traffic chaos over the last two years Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has confirmed the arrangements that will be put in place to lift the new Llanharan railway footbridge into position which will mean an overnight road closure at Bridgend Road this weekend The damaged footbridge adjacent to the railway bridge has been demolished and its replacement has been built away from the works site The footbridge will be put in place between 8pm on Saturday A large crane will lift the footbridge into position depending on the weather and if there are high winds The council has booked possession of the railway line for the same time periods on the following weekend (October 21-22) as a back up The lift requires a full road closure of the bridge – of Bridgend Road The alternative route for drivers is via the A473 (Rose Terrace Hillside Avenue and the A473 (Bridgend Road) – or this in reverse order Stagecoach’s 404 service that runs in the evening between the Royal Glamorgan Hospital and Bridgend will be unable to serve Llanharan and Brynna in both directions A free shuttle bus service will run to and from the war memorial bus stop in Llanharan to serve Brynna and Llanharan and connect with the 404 service in both directions at the film studio bus stop to enable onward connections to Bridgend the remaining on-site works will be completed over four to five weeks – before all traffic management is removed There will be finishing works related to the new footbridge and this will be followed by a series of local works that could not be completed during the length of the bridge scheme A signalised pedestrian crossing near the Llanharan Community Shop will be installed following requests from the community and councillors to improve pedestrian safety in the area The council said it will also repair some highway drainage and carry out some carriageway resurfacing on the A473 between the bridge and the High Corner – including the entrance into Chapel Road business owners in Llanharan expressed their frustration at temporary traffic lights causing traffic to back up down the A473 entering the village and also up Hillside Avenue during peak times Residents said they were initially told it would take months but the works have lasted about two years the council said the footbridge scheme has been challenging and more recently work undertaken by the contractor was defective with a re-design needed for piles on the south support to the bridge and a solution was needed that was agreed by all parties The council stressed at the time that the continuing delays were “unacceptable” and apologised for the ongoing inconvenience the scheme caused to residents Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Connect with Nation.Cymru on Facebook and Twitter If you would like to donate to help keep Nation.Cymru running then you just need to click on the box below it will open a pop up window that will allow you to pay using your credit / debit card or paypal Enter your email address to receive instant notifications of new articles All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018 In 2017 Nation.Cymru was launched after raising £5000 from a crowdfunding campaign Today it is one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK attracting over 1.5 million visitors a month We are not backed by billionaire owners or hidden 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Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Residents in Llanharan are being invited to a drop-in event to find out more about work to install a new footbridge near Trenos level crossing.   The drop-in session takes place on Thursday 28 September between 5pm and 7pm at Bryncae community centre Members of the Network Rail team will be on hand to provide information about the bridge which will improve safety at the crossing as well as eventually forming part of the bridleway allowing safe crossing of the South Wales main line.   Contractor Taziker has started to set up the site compound on the south side of the crossing and is carrying out ground investigations before construction gets under way.   Trenos level crossing will be temporarily closed while the new bridge is installed to keep the team and the community safe; users will be diverted to Bryn-y-Gwynnon crossing or to the existing bridge at Llanharan The station will remain open to passengers.  is expected to be completed by Spring 2024 when the Trenos crossing is due to be permanently diverted across it the new structure will allow a temporary speed restriction to be removed from the railway Network Rail programme manager Gordon Keyes said: “We are encouraging members of the community to come along to the event to find out more about the work Residents can drop in any time between 5pm and 7pm and we’ll be on hand to answer any questions they may have.  “We appreciate we will be working close to people’s homes and we’ll do everything we can to minimise noise and disruption “The new bridge at this popular and busy section of the network has been designed for the whole community It will provide a safer method of crossing the railway for users,  including pedestrians to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years Ross Pritchard was the hero for Llanharan as his 70 metre interception try carried them to their first final at the Principality Stadium with a 23-18 win over Aberavon Green Stars in the semi-final of the Specsavers National Bowl The Green Stars hadn’t been beaten all season and came into the game at Tonmawr as slight favourites That billing looked correct when they led by 12 points at the break a try at the posts by Tom Preece had hauled the Dairymen right back into the contest “We were absolutely elated with the result it means a huge amount to us against such a tough opposition,” said Llanharan secretary “We knew when the semi-final was drawn we were in for a really tough battle but the boys left everything out on the field It’s just starting to sink in now that we are going to be playing at the Principality Stadium “We didn’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves We all have a meeting at the stadium this week so we are just really looking forward to getting everyone in the community involved and can’t wait for the challenge.” a last second missed conversion from Fairwater allowed Bryncethin to secure the second spot at the Principality Bryncethin found themselves trailing for much of the first half and at 10-0 down they really needed to find something special the fightback was secured through tries by Gruff Davies Mark Thomas and Lloyd Bradley who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a 17-15 win smiles and singing,” said Bryncethin coach “We were feeling the pressure on the touchline but the boys were handling themselves on the pitch “We had comeback brilliantly from 10-0 down so for them to get that last try meant we were definitely feeling the pressure There was a lot of relief when the final whistle went “We know we are going into it as underdogs being a couple of divisions below them We are just going to put up a fight and enjoy the challenge.” both sides will meet at the Principality Stadium on Saturday 30 April to determine who takes the trophy home with them There are only 6.2 miles between Llanharan and Bryncethin but neighbourly love will be suspended when the two proud rugby clubs meet up at Principality Stadium in the WRU National Bowl final but they will have one common goal at the home of Welsh rugby – taking home the silverware Gareth Nicholas has breathed new life into Llanharan this season and led them into a final for the first time at Principality Stadium They have lost only once in Division 3A East Central this season and reached the final with a thrilling 23-18 semi-final win over Aberavon Green Stars Star of the day on that occasion was wing Ross Pritchard who ran clear to score a 70 metre interception try to help his side become the first team to beat the Green Stars “We were absolutely elated with the semi-final result and it meant a huge amount to us to reach the Principality Stadium,” said Llanharan secretary “We’ve got everyone in the community involved in the big day and we simply can’t wait for the challenge.” There was considerable drama in the other semi-final when Bryncethin faced Fairwater They were 10-0 down for a while and needed to find something special The fightback was secured through tries by Gruff Davies “The boys were ecstatic – there were tears smiles and singing after the semi-final win,” said Bryncethin coach We know we are going into it as underdogs being a couple of divisions below them the challenge accepted and the Principality Stadium is set for a classic it will be the first of two cup finals with a clash against Bryncoch to come on 11 May in the Central Glamorgan District Cup Penarth 0-20 Llanharan (Match awarded to Llanharan); Pontyclun 16-19 Llanharan; Llanharan 15-9 Pentyrch; Llanharan 48-12 Penarth; Llanharan 26-17 Pontyclun; Pentyrch 14-19 Llanharan District D1Nantymoel 5-15 Bryncethin; Maesteg 21-76 Bryncethin; Bryncethin 20-0 Glyncorrwg (Match awarded to Bryncethin); Cefn Cribwr 11-20 Bryncethin; Bryncethin 20-11 Nantymoel; Bryncethin 88-0 Maesteg; Glyncorrwg 3-92 Bryncethin; Bryncethin 25-0 Cefn Cribwr WRU NATIONAL BOWL PREVIOUS WINNERS2019: Abergavenny 27-23 Oakdale2018: Porthcawl 33-31 Pembroke2017: Amman United 43-31 Caerphilly2016: Burry Port 20-18 Taffs Well2015: Ystradgynlais 17-12 Cambrian Welfare2014: Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd 16-10 Llantwit Major2013: Wattstown 27-17 Fishguard & Goodwick Cup fever is sweeping across Wales as the countdown continues to the biggest weekend of community club action at Principality Stadium this weekend Now fewer than 14 teams will be taking part in the latest round of matches at #RTP24 Saturday sees the cup finals in the Division 2-5 competitions It was a good dress-rehearsal for Dinas Powys ahead of their Division 5 showdown with Seven Sisters as they made it 12 out of 12 in the Division 5 East Central title race with a thumping 64-5 win at Sully Sports They are now only one win away from clinching the title warmed-up for their big day out with a 41-0 home win over Taibach to say on course for a possible league and cup double They are now 12 points clear of Rhigos at the top of the Division 5 West Central table Tonna are no strangers to Principality Stadium having won the WRU Shield at the home of Welsh rugby in 2022 Tonna’s National Shield winning team of 2022 Their preparations went well as they took revenge on South Gower with a 20-3 victory on the road South Gower are the only team to have beaten Tonna in Division 4 West Central this season but the cup finalists are now 11 points clear of Maesteg at the top of the table with four games to go will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of wins for their club at #RTP234 after seeing their Girls Hub U16 and Youth teams both pick up trophies They drew 8-8 at Penygraig in their dress-rehearsal while opponents Blaina had a weekend off from league action The final game on Saturday 6 April will be the Division 2 Cup final between Porthcawl and Llanharan Porthcawl is the club that helped in the development of current Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins They will be seeking to match their win at Principality Stadium in 2018 when they snatched victory with the last kick of the game in a stunning 33-31 win over Pembroke in the National Bowl final The hero on that occasion was outside half Josh White Porthcawl’s 2018 match-winner Josh White is back for more at Pencoed last weekend to ensure they remain in the picture for promotion from Division 2 West Central Llanharan triumphed 21-16 at home against Cowbridge to maintain their 100% league record this season Llanharan beat local rivals Bryncethin 32-24 to win the National Bowl final at the home of Welsh rugby in 2022 and are eyeing up a league and cup double two years on With five games to play they lead Llanishen by 12 points in the race for the Division 2 East Central title Llanharan show off the National Bowl they won in 2022 Principality Stadium is bracing itself for one of the most demanding weekends of the year as it hosts seven major club finals in the biggest two days of #RTP24 6 April with the Division 5 Cup final between Dinas Powys and Seven Sisters The final game on Saturday will be the Division 2 Cup final between Porthcawl and Llanharan Championship and Premiership finals take place at the home of Welsh rugby Thousands of fans from the 14 clubs are set to descend on the Welsh capital  DIVISION 5 CUP FINAL – DINAS POWYS V SEVEN SISTERS (11.00AM) DIVISION 4 CUP FINAL – NEWPORT SARACENS V TONNA (1.15PM) DIVISION 3 CUP FINAL – BLAINA V CARDIFF QUINS (3.30 PM) DIVISION 2 CUP FINAL – PORTHCAWL V LLANHARAN (5.45PM) Porthcawl's 2018 match-winner Josh White is back for more It’s the hometown club of current Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins has internationals at the coaching helm in Ryan Bevington and Tom Prydie Porthcawl are the epitome of what the Welsh Rugby Union is attempting to achieve with teams at every age grade a women’s side known as the ‘Shegulls’ a men’s first team marketed as the ‘Seagulls’ and a new second XV called the ‘Sky Rats’ The club’s work has been recognised by becoming a finalist at the WRU Volunteer awards for Connecting Communities Club of the Year And secretary Tracey Williams reckons the seaside town will be devoid of residents when they clash with Llanharan at the Principality Stadium in in the Division 2 Cup final All roads and railway lines will be heading to Cardiff not just from Porthcawl but from Brean Sands on the other side of the Bristol Channel Three hundred and sixty-five junior members accompanied by parents and family members for a total of about 1,000 are taking part in the Brean Rugby Festival while another section of the club is on tour in Belfast Club chairman Gareth Morgan and vice-chair Daniel Morgan are among those traveling to the Principality Stadium for the match before heading back to Brean “The club has sold 500 tickets directly while other people have bought them from the WRU or will pay on the day We have five official supporter buses with other people heading to Cardiff by rail It seems virtually the whole town is heading to the capital,” said Williams “All of our match-day squad came through our junior section and we are immensely proud of that was one of our mascots when we played in the 2018 Bowl final at the Principality Stadium.” Six of the 23 on duty on Saturday took part when Porthcawl beat Pembroke 33-31 thanks to a match-winning kick from Josh White was at it again when he landed the winner during their semi-final with nine crucial points as they defeated West Central counterparts Aberavon Quins 24-14 at Tonmawr a dynamic prop who was capped 13 times by Wales during a career which took him from Porthcawl to Bridgend was Wales’ youngest international when he made his Test bow Jonathan Phillips and Mike Fraser with Graham Court as team manager Bevington wants his squad to enjoy Saturday’s final saying: “We’ll be sat in a pub when we are 50 years old talking about this occasion Nobody is bigger than the squad and I’ve kept that message drummed in “We work hard and we enjoy it together I have learnt about community rugby is you don’t have to be the most intelligent the biggest or the most skilled in the room “It’s important to have respect for each other and that’s what carries our team we enjoy it and we stay tight to the point where we all have beers after the game.” Porthcawl will be underdogs against a Llanharan side who have won 17 games in a row “We respect Llanharan and know how difficult it will be but this is a one-off cup game and your previous track record means nothing on the day It’s about who performs and who does their job better on the day,” said Bevington XFASTINDEX There is a growing demand for level crossings to be replaced across the UK rail network due to the risks they pose to the public Taziker has responded with its own design solution In 2018 Network Rail organised a design competition with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for footbridges Three designs were selected – the Frame bridge (designed by Gottlieb Paludin Architects/Davies Maguire) as the winner and the Beacon (Haskoll/Davies Maguire) and the Ribbon (Knight/Arup) as back-ups All three were put in the design manual for station footbridges published in December 2020 with financial backing from Network Rail – the Futura (Marks Barfield/Cowi) and the Flow (Knight/Jacobs and others) Taziker’s design has been self-funded but despite the lack of any development funding from Network Rail it has now secured commissions in three separate locations It is using its Legacy FRP bridge designs for a three-metre wide bridleway footbridge in Llanharan as well as a new ‘access for all’ (AFA) footbridge in Lostwithiel in Cornwall and a new level crossing replacement footbridge in Shornemead The Shornemead contract has been awarded through competitive tender, and Taziker is just starting the site survey and ground investigation works Lostwithiel and Llanharan are at similar stages PACE 2 (Grip 4 & 5 Design – according to the Governance for Railway Investment Projects procedures) Actually delivery remains a few months away Taziker technical services director Matt Greenhalgh believes that his solution “brings something different to the network” The footbridge planned for Lostwithiel Station He explains: “The Legacy FRP footbridge is a cost-effective FRP solution that can be quickly and efficiently installed in remote or difficult to access areas We have achieved this by bringing together proven innovative technologies thereby providing a new market for the production and installation of safe access across the railway to replace existing dangerous level-crossings “Due to the compact design, the footbridge can fit onto existing foundations as well as bringing space-saving benefits when limited land is available.” A key difference is that unlike other FRP bridges that have emerged the Legacy Bridge uses pultruded structural sections rather than mouldings as he sees it: “The use of pultruded structural sections whilst increasing the materials required to satisfy the structural requirements and allows the design to be modified easily whilst still maintaining a modular construction that allows for mass fabrication.” The Llanharan Legacy Footbridge will replace an existing pedestrian level-crossing and provide safe access across the tracks horse riders He says that the use of pultruded sections allows construction of several bridges to be carried out at the same time and production is not limited to the number of moulds available “By standardising parts within the construction of our three Legacy Bridge designs we can mass produce parts for multiple projects thus realising efficiencies and saving costs,” he says “The current cost for Network Rail to install an ‘access for all’ footbridge with lifts at a small station with two tracks and two platforms ranges between £4m and £5m The Legacy AFA footbridge solution has reduced that cost to below £2.5m He says: “Our FRP footbridge will demonstrate a low carbon approach for materials used during construction and installation – helping to create a greener railway and planet.” Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk 7 hours Ebbsfleet Development Corporation is undertaking early market engagement for infrastructure works. 1 day Following a recent expansion into North America, Murphy Group has now entered Australia. 6 hours Innovative tracked carrier manufacturer among 2025 King’s Award for Enterprise recipients 6 hours Modular construction business Integra Buildings has received royal recognition for its approach to sustainability. 7 hours MTX Contracts has been selected as the preferred bidder to build a diagnostic centre in Pitsea, Essex. 7 hours House-builder Springfield Properties has promoted Darren Thomson to construction director for its north of Scotland operations. © 2025 The Construction Index [Company No ' + response[i].created_nice + ' ' + response[i].description + ' Wales Under 20 wing Ellis Wyn Benham helped himself to four tries as SWALEC Championship leaders Merthyr went on a try rampage against lowly Llanharan The Cardiff Blues Academy star led the way as the Ironmen ran in 15 tries in a massive 99-0 win that further enhanced their status as the team to beat in the Championship Much troubled Llanharan arrived with only 15 players and the game started with passive scrums Benham notched is hat-trick in the first half as Merthyr raced into a 40-0 lead There were six tries in the opening period and Matthew Jarivs went through the 200 points barrier for the season as he helped himself to 12 conversions during the day Other tries came from flanker Osian Davies (2) James Lang had a game to remember for RGC 1404 as his two tries and fine kicking display helped the north Walians defeat Narberth 21-16 The windy conditions made it a difficult game for both sides and a late Narberth try was not enough to grab victory for the home side Newbridge were defeated 16-10 by Bridgend Athletic at the Welfare Ground as the visitors managed to steal the points in a game of fine margins A strong second half performance from Swansea gave them a 30-9 victory over Beddau despite the visitors leading 9-8 at the break Andrew Claypole scored for Swansea in the first half before a brace for Will Lewis and a bonus-point try from Josh Flye made sure the All Whites stay second Glynneath surrendered a 15-point lead to narrowly lose at home to Pontypool with the final score 19-15 to the visitors Tries from scrum-half Ben Jones and a Craig Pennant double gave the hosts a 15-0 lead but Pooler fought back with a fantastic second half showing Ex-Glynneath winger Dan Brooks was among the Pooler scorers Tata Steel got back to winning ways with a bonus-point victory over Cardiff Met Dan Zella and Daniel Hawkins for the Saints Email: info@wru.wales Telephone: 02920 822 000 15 Jan 2018Ambitious plans for one of the biggest regeneration projects ever seen in south Wales can be revealed It would see 5,000 new homes - effectively a new small town - as well as industrial and office space potentially creating thousands of new jobs The site is an area of 1,000 acres that was once mainly a huge opencast mining operation at Llanilid It's located between Pencoed and Llantrisant and sandwiched by the M4 motorway to the south and the south Wales to Paddington Great Western mainline to the north It has been designated by Rhondda Cynon Taf council (RCT) not only as a key strategic development site for the county borough And taking a wider regional approach to local development plans something that the Welsh Government is insisting happens the scheme could join up with the existing Pencoed Technology Park which is just across the unitary authority border from RCT in neighbouring Bridgend A map showing the site earmarked for proposed development(Image: Google) And an indicative map by Rhondda Cynon Taf council of how the area could be developedParc Llanilid has been seen as a key development site since the cessation of opencast mining in 1997 by 1999 the site was in a fit enough state to accommodate alternative use development Just two years later it was earmarked for the so called Valleywood project - which promised to put south Wales on the film-making map with up to three million square feet of new film studios and affiliated office space It was driven by consortium Dragon International Film Studios chaired by the late acclaimed actor and producer Richard Attenborough despite the hype of creating 2,000 jobs and attracting stars and productions from around the world all that the project delivered were four silent stages extending to 50,000 sq ft and unfinished road infrastructure with the latest being for a US drama based on the young life of William Shakespeare The late Lord Attenborough at the Valleywood site‌And while some might have a degree of cynicism towards the latest plans following the demise of Valleywood a failed project that left a trail of creditors owed millions of pounds in its wake the new plans have a far more achievable feel - including helping to ease an acute shortage of new housing developments across the region the site - which now bears little evidence of its once industrial scale mining past - is well-positioned for job-creating commercial developments particularly in areas such as logistics and distribution a sector well-placed for further growth and investment following abolition of tolls on the Severn bridges by the end of the year And in a major boost to realising the first phase of the project it is understood that a leading UK housebuilder is close to exchanging contracts to acquire two major land lots to the north and south of the Llanilid site covering more than 700 acres for which there is already planning consent for the first wave of 1,850 new homes formerly owned by the now-in-administration Cofton Wales have been marketed for sale on behalf of receivers KPMG by the Cardiff office of property advisory firm Savills who declined to comment on the current status of the sales process covering 330 acres - although not including the film studios - was acquired from PwC by a new joint venture company A huge area of land near the Dragon Studios has been earmarked for development(Image: Richard Williams) which could be transformed in one of south Wales' biggest-ever regeneration projects‌ The directors of G&G are Nick Griffith one of Wales’ leading commercial property investors Mr Griffith's commercial investments include the 500,000 sq ft Imperial Park in Newport the 300,000 sq ft Waterton Point at Bridgend and the still-live plans for 200 acres of mixed-used development including for 3,000 homes and 250,000 sq ft of commercial schemes While not commenting on who could be in the frame to acquire the land lots immediately to the north and south of G&G Land's own land stake Mr Griffith said: "G&G want to work on a collaborative basis to deliver a fully comprehensive scheme at Llanilid which fulfils RCT’s ambitious strategic plan.” And on the potential of the overall development site Mr Griffith added: “Where is the next major employment site in south Wales going to happen If you travel from Newport to Swansea for a substantial business opportunity then this which was set up by Mr Grey’s father Brian in 1966 has built more than 5,000 houses across south Wales with its head office close to the Llanilid site at Talbot Green Llanmoor has already developed more than 350 homes consented back in 2008 at the former colliery and open cast site at the north eastern end of Llanilid known as Bryncae Mr Grey said that it would take more than a decade to build 5,000 homes but stressed that the scheme would not be car-centric but come with an integrated public transport solution and encourage cycle use on dedicated cycling paths across the development He said that as well as benefiting from plans for its own access to the M4 through the proposed new junction the site could be reached from the centre of Cardiff quickly He added: “I know of some executives already living in Bryncae that walk to Llanharan train station in a matter minutes and then by train are in the centre of Cardiff in around 20 minutes “We also need to be talking to bus operating firms about aligning bus services from Llanilid to Llanharan and Pencoed train stations while longer-term the development could see it own new train station.” Mr Morgan said: “5,000 new homes will generate a lot of residential movements so we don’t want to see all those cars clogging up the M4. “So, this is very much about making sure that the public transport is right in terms of bus services into Bridgend and Cardiff, and exploring the potential for having a new rail station there, which can connect to the Metro. And if not we need bus services to Pencoed and Llanharan.” RCT leader Andrew Morgan(Image: Western Mail)‌What sort of development could it be?For Mr Morgan - who also chairs the cabinet of the Cardiff Capital Region, made up of the leaders of the region’s 10 local authorities - Llanilid ticks all the right boxes in a £1bn plus gross development which he described as being similar to the regeneration of the former huge steelworks site in Ebbw Vale. He said: “What we are looking at is more than £1bn of investment, over a 10-year to 30-year horizon, creating thousands of new jobs, including skilled job opportunities for local people. “On the current site there is already in place development consent for 1,850 new homes, but there is a much wider area that has the potential for development.” While it's still early days on the precise nature of commercial developments that could be realised, he said: “We are not boxing ourselves into one particular area, but with a new M4 junction it could be ideal as a major distribution site. “These are the sort of developments we are looking at and exploring, but we are also looking at other industries like in the creative sector and expanding on the four film studios that are already there. “We recently met with an American company [creative industries firm], so we will looking at whether it will be possible to bring a potential investment forward. “So, we could be looking at light industrial, distribution and retail, but I wouldn’t like to see a retail park. And there is also potential for new office accommodation, as there is a shortage of grade A office space across the city region. We are actively talking to a number of developers.” He said funding for the required transport infrastructure would come in the shape of community infrastructure levy and Section 106 agreements with developers, which would also include working towards finishing the Llanharan bypass - currently only one-third complete - and a new M4 junction. There is also potential for Welsh Government funding. One of the few positive legacies from Valleywood is that the Welsh Government had planned for an new M4 junction. Just beyond the film studios the first section of the bypass is eerily empty and abruptly gives way to a dirt track on open land where opencast mining once dominated. Off that is another stretch of highway which was intended to meet Valleywood’s proposed M4 junction, but which also comes to a halt well short of its intended destination. And while it will be down to the plans of developers, RCT see potential for major employment hubs at the southern end of Parc Llanilid that runs alongside the existing M4. But what are the prospects for a new railway station at Llanilid? The Welsh Government’s transport body, Transport for Wales, in environmental impact assessments for future Metro developments, has not identified a new train station there as a next phase project. Discussions would need to involve the Metro, electrification of the Valley Lines and the running of the next 15-year Wales and Borders rail franchise, but new park and ride station projects could focus on other locations along the line into Cardiff at places such as Brackla or Miskin. The challenge is not necessarily the cost but - as a station that would also have to see trains to London passing through - rather getting Network Rail to give priority status for a new station so close to existing ones at Pencoed and Llanharan. Llanharan Train Station(Image: Media Wales)‌Transport expert Prof Stuart Cole said: “In principle a new station at Llanilid is a good idea, providing there is a park and ride facility for 1,000 to 2,000 vehicles that takes traffic off the M4 from a new M4 junction, where the existing ones at Bridgend and Llanharan are far enough apart to justify one at Llanilid. “But a new a train station is not easy and Network Rail’s first reaction would no doubt be you have a station at Llanharan, so you cannot have both on what is only a two track route. “You also have to consider how many additional services could operate on the line as priority has to be given to Great Western mainline services from south Wales to London." Prof Cole said the line from Pencoed into Cardiff could support one additional station. But the prospect of any new station at Llanilid being a stop for south Wales to London mainline services, as it stands, seems out of the question. That franchise, currently operated by Great Western Trains, is a matter for the UK Government. If a station is not developed at Llanilid (over the lifetime of the next franchise) Prof Cole said that next best option would be looking to increase services in Cardiff and park and ride capacity - although it is a constrained site - at Llanharan train station. Taking an economic impact overview on Llanilid, lead director of the Cardiff office of property advisory firm JLL, Chris Sutton, is upbeat on the potential to create a major new employment hub in central south Wales, acting like the hotspots north of London in places like Milton Keynes, Oxford and Cambridge. Chris Sutton of JLLMr Sutton said: “If you are looking for sites of regional or national significance that can be developed then the Bridgend to Llantrisant M4 corridor, which also broadly tends to follow the Great Western Mainline, is one of those locations. “Yes, there are opportunities along the Heads of the Valleys Road, but north of the M4 is constrained by where you can develop. The site [Llanilid] is not affected by flood plain in the way that say areas around south Cardiff and Newport are. “The land is poor quality and has old spoilt heaps that have been levelled, so development would not be taking out grade A agricultural land like say in the Vale of Glamorgan. “It is also central in south Wales, so dragging the core economic activity further westwards can only be a good thing. “I think the way we need to look at this is that we spend enough time trying to find two acres here and there [for development], but we actually now need to start looking at the bigger picture. “We need some drivers in terms of where the economy is going with e-commerce and distribution, which is going to become even more important. And we need to attract more higher value added activity in areas like automation and driverless vehicles. He added: “Pencoed has been under the radar, but it has been very successful and one of those clusters where you are attracting high value added activity, with companies like Johnson and Johnson, Sony and their tenants, the Ortho Clinical Diagnostics operation and R&D-focused life sciences firms like ReNeuron. "Llantrisant has also grown out of having strong communication links and with Bridgend they are two really strong locations and are, if you like, the manufacturing parks of south Wales. “In terms of the UK, if you are looking at the growth corridor north of London, in Milton Keynes, Oxford and Cambridge, we somehow need to create our equivalent of that. Okay, we don’t have any red brick universities in that part of the world, but you do have the potential to create a corridor of growth between Bridgend and Llantrisant and including those two locations. And arguably you could drag that down and stretch it towards Port Talbot. "So we need to plan for the economy of south Wales for the next 50 years and Llanilid provides a great opportunity over that time frame.” If 5,000 homes are developed, that could see at least 10,000 extra residents. Local community councillor Pam Uppal lives in Llanharan and represents Bryncae where she and her husband run a fish and chip shop and adjoining convenience store with a Post office. They are planning to invest £800,000 to fund a new building for their existing businesses, in anticipation of new customers from the inflow of residents. Mrs Uppal said: “From a business view we want this development to happen, as we have been badly affected by the Co-op in Llanharan which opened in 2015." However, speaking as a resident she said she has some concerns, noting that the doctor's surgery in Llanharan operates just two days a week. "My concern would be that a huge expansion of homes would put an even greater strain on those services, so residents would want to see commitment to a new dedicated surgery before any development started,” she said, adding that it was vital that the regeneration of Llanilid also resulted in the completion of the Llanharan bypass. RCT cabinet member and councillor for Llanharan, Geraint Hopkins, said: “There is huge potential for the site, which is recognised as a key strategic opportunity for the whole of south Wales. “And if you could get a link from the M4, and then a new link road off the motorway at Miskin to Cardiff Airport, the economic and employment potential for this part of south Wales is hugely exciting for the future, against all the concerns surrounding Brexit. “There is also tremendous potential to deliver quality and affordable housing. But it is very important, as this is such a big development, that we get the infrastructure in first [Llanhran bypass and M4 junction]. On a potential new station on the Great Western mainline, Mr Hopkins, who has lived in Llanharan for 20 years, recognised it would not be easy but added: “But they also said that about a station at Llanharan which opened a decade ago, so anything is possible.” Planning for a new primary school with 540 places in Rhondda Cynon Taf has been approved by the local authority Plans submitted by Persimmon Homes West Wales were signed-off yesterday (23 November) to construct the school at its site in Llanilid The school is set to include two nurseries The grounds include a 3G all-weather pitch 480 spaces would be for pupils aged five to 11 with 60 nursery places making up the remainder The new school would form an extension of the existing The application is the latest feature of outline planning permission granted to Persimmon Homes for up to 1,850 properties and a new town centre for local people at the site near Llanharan Persimmon Homes West Wales’ Managing Director said: “I am delighted we have secured the support of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and other key partners to enable us to deliver a new school at our Llanilid site He added: “It is a source of pride for us at Persimmon to be delivering nearly 2,000 high-quality and now we can get on with building a school for the generations of young children that will live in them The current school is one of the very few dual stream schools in RCT Currently about 50% of the pupils are educated through the medium of Welsh with very few coming from Welsh speaking homes As this is an extension there is the scope to grow the number of pupils in the Welsh stream